Eyes on Rapier in Auckland Cup

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 236, 24 December 1927, Page 6

Eyes on Rapier in Auckland Cup

GREAT FIELD IN BIG RACE f\XE OF THE BEST FIELDS SEEN OUT IN THIS FACE FOR YEARS IS THE GENERAL SUMMING-UP OF THE HORSES LEFT IN THE AUCKLAND CUP, TO BE RUN AT ELLERSLIE ON MONDAY. FROM WHICH IT MAY BE CONFIDENTLY ASSUMED THAT THERE WILL BE A TITANIC STRUGGLE FOR SUPREMACY. A REVIEW OF THE FIELD IS GIVEN BELOW; —

WHAT lends added interest to this ** race is the fact that the first six horses past the post in the New Zealand Cup will again be on hand to fight that battle over again. This sextette is comprised of Rapier, Star Stranger, Footfall, Bennanee, Te Monanui and Battlement in that order. This table shows the weights carried

then and the imposts for Monday, together with the positions in which they finished at Riccarton last month: N.Z. Auckland

For comparative purposes, it may be mentioned that so far as this halfdozen is concerned, those that have been raised, and their increased poifndagej are: Rapier, up 121 b.; Star Stranger, up 21b., and Footfall. 31b. Those that have been dropped are: Count Cavour, 11b.; Te Monanui, 21b.; Bennanee, 51b., and Battlement. 51b. So that the real difference is more apparent in the case of Rapier, who is thus given the chance to prove that he is a good horse under a good ■weight. THE TOPWEIGHT Heading the list is Star Stranger, whose second at Riccarton to Rapier was a good effort as illustrative that the Martian gelding can run out a stern two miles, a point upon which some critics were doubtful prior to the contest. Star Stranger did not go at

all kindly at Ellerslie last Tuesday morning, but he was not seen at his best. On the score of condition he should by now be at the top of his form. Next on the list comes Count Cavour, who is in receipt of a pound from Star Stranger. It is some time since the Count showed anything like his true form. However, he was galloping in his best style at Riccarton before being brought north, and this, combined with a good effort last Tuesday and the knowledge that he runs his best races at Ellerslie, has caused him to come into favour. WILL HE SEE IT OUT? One of the fittest horses in the race will be the Taranaki representative, Te Monanui. Up to the present he has failed to see out a true two-mile contest, but his third last year showed that he is improving in this respect. He failed in the New Zealand Cup, fading out over the last little bit. Against this it must be remembered that the Ellerslie course is not so-severe as Riccarton, and where a horse would be unable to win there through apparent lack of stamipa, the conformation of the Auckland course does not make it quite so vital a point perhaps, although stamina still remains a dominant feature of Auckland Cup struggles. Therefore, it would occasion no great surprise were Te Monanui to get into a place again on Monday. PUZZLE OF FOOTFALL Many have been standing off Footfall consequent on southern reports that he was under a cloud, but since his

arrival here these doubts, to a considerable extent, have been dispelled. The Autumnus gelding looks the part,

and furthermore he went well over nine furlongs on Tuesday, and he will be all the better for that and subsequent gallops. On Riccarton running Footfall appears ot have an excellent chano? of turning the tables on Rapier, whom he now meets on nine pounds better terms. A continuation of his good work will cause Footfall to be one of the lastminute fancies of the day. RAPIER STILL FAVOURITE Rapier’s brilliant trial on Tuesday will make it necessary for him to do something desperate if he is to lose his place at the head of the Cup quotations. He is looking a picture of condition, and with Green in the saddle he will lack little on the score of horsemanship. The horse has 121 b. more to carry than what he won with in the New Zealand Cup, but he is so well that this may not stop him. His party are very confident of the result. Te Kara looked very well at Te Awamutu last Saturday, and he ran well too. If he wins the Cup again it will be a surprise, however, despite the fact that he is in such good nick. MASK OVER TWO MILES It is probable that Mask will run out two miles better now than twelve months ago, and with the Limond gelding in fine order, he is one of the possibilities for the rich stake. Last week he was tried over a mile and a-half at Wanganui, and the time, 2.39, even on that fast track, was excellent, and it is on that account that Mask has come into the market. There is little doubt

but that he is a brilliant customer when caught right, and this season he seems to be back to his best three-year-old form. Grand Knight has let his supporters down too many times, and even if he wins the Cup there will still be sometiling to make up. Satrap figures in the opening event also, and at the time of writing it is unknown whether the three-year-old will take on the big event, in which he will be bracketed with Count Cavour. BENNANEE’S PROSPECTS Despite the fact that Te Monanui easily accounted for Bennanee over nine furlongs at Ellerslie on Tuesday, the latter will meet his conqueror on much better terms on Monday than in the gallop, and on his Riccarton showings he must command respect. Transformer has not run a good race for some time, and Battlement went well at Riccarton, although rather unreliable. Eden Hall impresses as one of the likely ones well down the list. He is in good order, but he is an unlucky sort in handicaps. Royal Mint is in splendid condition, and in his case a soft track would be in his favour. This he is unlikely to get unless prolonged showers come along on the day. Phaola was a bit sore at Te Awamutu last week, and this will cause her to lose some support. As a handicap performer, however, she shows distinct promise. ON THE MINIMUM There are four horses in at the minimum—Desert Glow, Delightment, Great Charter and Papatu. Because they are in so light it must not be thought that they possess no chance, for they do. A couple of them at least. For instance. Great Charter went a splendid nine furlongs on Tuesday and so did Papatu, while Desert Glow accomplished a smooth performance when he scored in the Te Awamutu Cup last Saturday. That completes a hurried run through

the Cup field, and all that now remains is to accomplish the difficult task of summing it up. This is done in the usual way and in the usual place on this page.

Star Stranger (2) .. Cup. st lb .. 9 4 Cup. st lb 9 6 Count Cavour (9) .. . . 9 9 5 Te Monanui (5) .. . . 9 9 0 Footfall (3) 8 12 Rapier (1) ' 12 8 10 Bennanee (4) .. 4 7 3 Battlement (6) .. .. .. 7 6 7 1